Musical instrument



(No Model.)

J. F. S. PIZZUTI.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 458,238. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. F. PIZZUTI, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,238, dated August 25, 1891.

Application filed December 12, 1890. Serial No. 374,482. No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. F. PIZZUTI, a citizen of Italy, residingv at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments; and the objects of my invention are to provide means for picking the strings of a harp by the manipulation of piano or similar keys, and to accomplish this object in a neat and effective manner without complication. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of my improved musical instrument. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing partly in section and partly in elevation means for picking the harp-strings. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 00 00 of Fig. 2; and Fig. tis a vertical section through the instrument body or case, showing a side elevation of one of the stringpicking arms and its position with relation to the harp-strings.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

a represents the body or casing of my improved instrument, which is preferably in the form of a square piano or organ body or caslng.

Y) represents the key ledge or shelf, above which is supported, as hereinafter described, a row of piano or organ keys Z).

Supported, as shown, upon the upper side of the piano body or case is a stringed harp c, the frame of which is approximately heartshaped and is slightly inclined laterally.

d represents suitable ornamental brackets or supports which project upwardly from the upper side of the body a, near each end thereof, the harp-frame being supported, as shown, between said supports.

In forming my improved instrument I preferably employ two sets of harp-strings, the soprano set extending, as shown at e, diagonally between the harp-frame sides in the lower half thereof, While the bass-strings f extend from the lower end of the frame in diagonal parallel lines to the upper portion of the left frame lobe, and are so connected with said frame as to cross the soprano-strings at right angles and at a distance in front thereof. This form of harp and the arrangement of the bass and soprano strings are substantially shown in my application for patent, Serial N o. 305,791,1filed September 22, 1890, and are not, therefore, thought to require a more detailed description at this time.

On the upper side of the body a, in rear of the harp c, is supported the base ofan approximately L-shaped board or plate 9, which is of a width corresponding to the width of the key-board. The vertical arm g of this plate g, which is at the left, extends to apoint in rear of ,the bass-stringsf of the harp, and has its upper end so inclined or beveled as to cross the plane occupied by the upper portion of said bass-strings at an angle, as shown in Fig. l. The upper inclined end of the plate-arm g is cut in the form of notches or stepsf, as shown, the notches or steps thus formed corresponding with the number of bassstrings. The upper side of thelowerhorizontal arm of the plate g is also stepped and inclined as provided for the arm g, said stepped and inclined portion extending across the plane occupied by the soprano-strings e at an angle therewith, as shown.

Projecting for\ ardly from each step of the plate 9 is an arm 1', which has its upper side flush with the upper side of said plate-step and which has its forward end terminating at a short distance in rear of the harp-strings. Each of said plate-steps has projecting upwardly therefrom a bearing-lug 71'; represent the lower parallel and horizontal arms of bell-crank levers, said arms 7t bein g fulcrumed upon suitable bearing-lugs m, which project from the bottom or floor of the case a and extend upwardly within said case. The outer ends of these arms 7o projectthrough the usual key-slots in the front of the pianobody and form thekeys. as shown at I). The rear and vertical arm 7a of the bell-crank lever extends upwardly through the upper side of the piano case or body and terminates in rear of one of the lugs of the plate g.

n represents the sliding arms, one of which, as shown in the drawings, rests upon each of the outwardly-extendingplate-arms i. Each of these sliding arms a has its outer or forward end reduced in size to form a finger n,

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as shown, said finger being provided at its end with an upwardly-projecting tip a of rubber or other suitable material. The rear end of each of the sliding arms a is connected with the upper end of one of the lever-arms k by a rod the latter passing through a lug F, as shown. Formed in the under side of each of the arms a at about the center of its length is a recess m, in which is pivoted the upper end of a pawl m the lower end of which projects, as shown, within an oblong recess m in the side of the arm 2', near the outer end of the latter. Each of the arms a passes through a suitable keeper n, which extends upwardly from the outer end of the key Z beneath. The length of the pawl m is such that when the arm n, to which it is pivoted, is supported flatly upon the arm 1' as to cause said pawl to be inclined slightly forward and have its lower end portion resting upon the bottom of the recess m at a point near the forward end of the latter.

The number of picking-fingers n, which, as hereinafter described, employed to pick the strings of a harp, correspond with the number of strings.

The method of operating my improved musical instrument is as follows: A pressure upon one of the keys b'such as is used in manipulating the keys of a piano-will result in the upper arm of the pivoted bell-crank, of which said key forms a part, being pressed forward. This forward movement of the upper end of the bell-crank arm will result in the corresponding forward movement of the sliding arm a through the connection of the latterwith said arm 7c by the rod 70 The forward movement of the arm n will be continued horizontally until the lower end of the pivoted pawlof said arm comes in contact with the ends of the recess in of the fixed arm i, when, as will be seen, said arm n will be elevated and caused to travel forward a short distance in the are of a circle until the pawl has turned over and has traveled backward in its recess a sufiicient distance to allow the arm a to drop to its original position upon the arm 1', when the key being released, said arm a will be drawn backward upon the arm t', which backward movement of said arm n will result from the weight of the lower portion of the arm U, which is affixed thereto, as shown at k. The picking-armor. is thus driven rearwardly until the pawl comes in contact with the rear end of the recess of the arm '6, when said pawl is again turned toward the front and the arm 91 again dropped horizontally upon the arm 'L'. These picking-fingers n are so supported as to cause them to pass during their first forward movements to points beneath and in front of the harp-strings, the

latter being picked by the following upward movement of the fingers through the contact of the projecting finger-tips n and the strings. The picking movements thus having been accomplished, the following downward and rearward movement of the arms a, hereinbefore described, will result in the fingers bein g forced rearwardly between the strings free from contact therewith. It will thus be seen that to the desired harp-string may be imparted substantially the same piekin g movement which is attained through picking the strings by the hand. It will be observed that the pieking-arms are so arranged with relation to the strings of the harp and are so connected with the keys of the instrument-body a as to admit of the picking of such strings as correspond in name or note with the keys pressed, and that the manipulation of the harp-strings may thus be accomplished with ease and accuracy without the necessity of applying the fingers of the hand to the strings.

If desired, 1 may so connect the pedals q with the lever-arms 70 as to regulate the forward movement of the arms a connected therewith, and thereby produce a greater or less pressure of the picking-fingers upon the strings, and consequently softer or louder musical tones.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a musical instrument, the combination, with the case a and a stringed harp upon said case and an approximately L-shaped plate supported upon said casein rear of said harp, the arms of said plate being inclined and stepped, as described, of key-arms in the form of bell-crank levers journaled within said case, a picking-arm, and a finger projecting from each of said key-arms in rear of each of the harp-strings, said picking-arms resting upon said plate-steps or plate-arms projecting therefrom and adapted to be made to engage with or pick said harp-strings, as described, by pressure upon the lower end of said keyarms, substantially as specified.

JOSEPH S. F. PIZZUTI.

In presence of- BARTON GRIFFITH, O. O. SHEPHERD. 

